Japan Took the J.A.P Out of Me:Â The True Story of a Domesticated Princess by Lisa Fineberg Cook is a whimsical and humorous memoir about the author’s whirlwind first year of marriage living abroad. 8,090 miles abroad to be exact, in a little town called Nagoya, Japan, far far away from all of her creature comforts that America- Los Angeles, specifically–has to offer. Â Cook’s recount of how she went from being a “single girl in LA, living in my snappy condo, zipping around in my red sun-roofed Jetta” to being “whisked” away to Nagoya, Japan due to her new husbands job shows us a fresh and witty take on what life is like when suddenly thrust into an entirely new and culturally shocking environment.
Written in a light and informal style, as if we are one of Cook’s best girlfriends listening to her chit chat over a cup of java, she describes her portrayal of life in Japan. As Cook scrambles to figure out how to deal with the mundane every day tasks that most of us can do with our eyes closed, she is also scrambling to decipher a new language, culture, and marriage to boot. In the first few pages, I was both amused and slightly put off by her life in LA. Amused, because who wouldn’t want to shop, get manicures and lie on the beach all day? I have to admit, I was slightly envious and put off, because, really… you don’t know how to do laundry?? (Again, it may have been coming from that envy angle). Therefore it was somewhat satisfying to watch Cook struggle a little bit and learn life lessons that would not necessarily have presented themselves while living the high life in California.
As Cook navigates her way both through the busy streets of Nagoya and her first year of marriage, we see how the author transforms herself from being a spoiled, “Jewish American Princess†to having some real eye opening experiences to see what it’s actually like to be the odd one out for once. We also see how it gives Cook a new perspective on what it means to be the foreigner and what it takes to learn a whole new way of life and culture.
I found the book to be a charming and fun read about what it’s like to live somewhere new and so vastly different from American life, but as an observant Jewish woman, I can’t say that I can relate to the “Jewish” aspect of the book. At all. Aside for the requisite mentions of bagels and lox and a couple of other witty quips about being a Jewish wife, not much else had to do with Cook being Jewish, except for the stereotypical Princess part. Let me just clarify to you non Jewish readers out there: Not all Jewish women are J.A.P’s! And lox and bagels are not the only ethnic foods associated with being a Jew!
What I could relate to were her funny mishaps, such as getting lost on public transportation (yes, it’s happened to me), and her resolve to make the most of a situation that at first seems easier to just give up and go home. She conveys the message that trying new things and experiencing new situations– even if it doesn’t involve moving halfway across the world, such as in her case–  can create new relationships, solidify existing ones, and help repair old ones. Jewish and non Jewish women alike will delight in this witty and lighthearted description of Cook’s life in a foreign and very culturally different land as she  allows us to join her on her quest to figure out what the word “home” truly means.
